


Kissed by the Devil

by ucancallmechlo



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25937878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ucancallmechlo/pseuds/ucancallmechlo
Summary: The girl was said to be kissed by the Devil, feared by the Saxons, respected by the Danes, Lilith was a bastard, but she became so much more.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)s, Sihtric (The Last Kingdom)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

It was a cold winter night. Father Beocca was running in the streets of Winchester, the priest was agitated, he had been woken up in the middle of the night. One of the servants was giving birth, normally they wouldn’t wake the priest, but this was special. Around the castle, everyone knew who the father was, though everyone acted like they didn’t. Another one of Alfred’s bastards, the first one, a boy, was still a babe, barely one year old. Father Beocca warned Alfred, the King’s brother, about God’s way, about his challenges, but here they were, another illegitimate child, another child that would grow without parents, without a family, Beocca pitied the child. He hadn’t been in Winchester for long, but he was respected here, that is why a woman woke him up because she didn’t know who to turn to. The situation was delicate, given birth to a bastard was hard enough, but the Prince’s that was even harder. He was on his way to find a healer, he also needed to know what to do with the child. The Prince already had a daughter, Princess Aethelflaed, but also a bastard son sent away to a monastery, Osferth.  
He arrived at the Palace, the King and his brother were, what he considered to be friends, Steapa let him pass, nothing threatening about the priest. Although it was late, he knew Alfred wouldn’t be sleeping, someone must have told him about the girl, after all, he had eyes and ears everywhere. Just as predicted, he found the man in the chapel. 

« Lord. »The priest didn’t know how the King was feeling, a child was a blessing true, but it was not « God’s child », the poor babe was a bastard. He didn’t know what to say, Beocca wasn’t really comfortable. 

« Father Beocca, I was waiting for you. Is the child born ? » Alfred said, turning around looking directly at the priest. His face was blank, no emotions, no signs of what he might feel. That was the face of a true King, impassive. Alfred was not King, not yet, Beocca knew Aethlered would not let his son on the throne, Aethelwold would never be fit to be a king. The boy was young, but already a drunk. 

« No, my Lord. I came to require a healer, I don’t know where to find one. The women with her are stressed, something isn’t right, apparently. » He hesitated before adding « They think the mother and the child might not make it. »

« Steapa please, go fetch the healer. » Alfred was anxious, Aelswith has not been happy learning about another bastard. She wouldn’t let him see the first boy, Osferth, surely the second won’t be different. He turned around again, Alfred didn’t want the priest to see him like this. « Will you tell me what they look like ? You must know I cannot go with you. Tell me if they are healthy, then give them to a Priest or an Abbess, Father. » The Prince loved children, he has two of his own, although he only knew one. Soon there would be three of them, two away, that pained him. He wished, he could let them stay in Winchester, although that would be inappropriate, he had a wife and a daughter. The King was his brother. « If the mother makes it, she may go with the child in the nunnery, only if it’s a daughter. » His voice was different, calm and gentle. 

« Of course, Lord. I will take care of the child, you do not need to worry about this. » Father Beocca didn’t know what the young man wanted to hear. He approached him, put his hand on his shoulder, that is all he could do.  
Soon Steapa came back, with a very tired looking healer. Beocca looked one last time at Alfred, he wasn’t sure, but he thought he had seen a tear running down Alfred’s cheek. Father Beocca hurried out the room with the healer, he would be back later after all, and with good news he prayed. He led the man in the street of Winchester, bells ringing midnight. As they arrived at the home of the woman, Beocca could hear a baby crying, they were too late. Entering the room, the first thing the men saw was blood, so much blood. The baby was covered by it, the bedsheets, the floor. The healer was the first to react, he ran to the woman on the bed, trying to do anything that could save the poor soul. Beocca was ready, he was ready to send her to heaven, every woman dying giving birth were welcomed in heaven. He knew she would not make it, they was so much blood, years later Beocca would still be marked by this scene. The priest advanced toward the woman holding the child, a girl he could see, she was bathing her. The girl was beautiful, he wished he could take her to the palace for Alfred to see, but he knew he couldn’t, the girl would be in danger.  
« She is cursed Father. » One of the women said agitated. 

« What do you mean cursed ? » Surely the woman was mad. How could such a beautiful babe be cursed. A child was innocent, they were corrupted by the others growing up, but when they were born, nothing had touched them, nothing evil. 

« She is Father. I saw it when she was born. She crawled her way out of her mother’s womb, she waited for the bells to ring midnight, no one good is born at midnight, Father, you know it. The Devil has her in his hands. Look, Father, look. » The woman took the child left hand in hers. « See, he branded her, he put his mark on her hand. » All Beocca saw was a birthmark, shaped like a crescent moon. « He also kissed her head, she has a white strand, everything else is brown. She was kissed by the Devil. » It is true, the girl had a white strand, it was hard to miss. Beocca didn’t believe she was of the Devil just because of some superstitions. He looked at her, her green eyes were looking at him, all he saw was the innocence of a child. 

« She is not cursed. Bathe her and make sure the mother gets to hold her while she is still alive. I will look for the Abbess, I will be back. » The child couldn’t stay here, the women were agitated by her strange features, words would spray. He walked faster thinking about what those women will do to the child, surely they would not kill her ? He was almost running by now. He knocked on the door of the Abbess, by the knocking anyone would know something was wrong. It was late, the priest knew it, but the child needed to be gone by the morning. He knew this Abbess was going back to her nunnery soon, he was hoping it would be today. 

« Father Beocca, what is this nonsense ? » The Abbess, Sister Eunice, was known for her strictness. She directed her nunnery for years now, the nuns knew not to disobey. She was in Winchester to collect the future nuns. It was not the best choice, a lot of abbesses were gentler, but he had not other options. 

« I would not have come if it was not important. » The Abbess didn’t seem impressed. 

« I take it the bastard is born and it’s a girl. I will get dressed, wait here. » With those words, she closed the door. Sister Eunice was a cold woman, she had no need for people to love her in her life, the only love that mattered was God’s one. The Father was shocked, she could have, at least let him stay inside, they were in the middle of the winter, he was freezing.  
When she was ready, she followed the priest to the house. She told him she would stay here, he could go talk to the Prince. Beocca would have to announce two news to Alfred, a good and a bad one. He had blessed the woman before leaving. Just like they came, Beocca and the healer walked back to the palace, in silence. The man had blood everywhere, on his hands, his shirt, it was terrible. They couldn’t do anything to save the woman, the child was safe, Beocca knew it. No one knew what to say to each other, they preferred to stay silent, it was uncomfortable, but it was better that way. As they reached the palace, Beocca became more anxious, he had to tell the young Prince that the servant was dead and that the women thought his child was cursed.  
Steapa had a hand on his sword, as always, the man was never rested, always aware of his surroundings. He saw two figures approaching, his hand tightened on the handle of his sword, you were never too careful. The soldier relaxed when he saw Father Beocca and the healer. He tensed again when he saw the blood on the healer clothes and hands, sadly, Steapa understood immediately what happened. The woman was dead, and possibly the child with her. He led the Father to the chapel, and then the healer to his chambers, Steapa knew Alfred needed to be alone with the priest. As they arrived at the chapel, Father Beocca nodded at the warrior, a way of thanking him. 

« My Lord. » Where to start ? The good news first or the bad news. A birth was a miracle, but death was always lurking around miracles. By the tone he used, Alfred could tell something was wrong, he wasn’t a fool. He had prayed they would both survived, but it appeared his prayers were not answered. 

« Is the child alive Father ? » That was all he cared about for now. He will mourn the girl later, he needed to know if the child lived. 

« Yes, my Lord, it is a girl. Abbess Eunice is with her right now. The healer couldn’t do anything for the poor woman. Be reassured, I blessed her before she died, she is in heaven now. She will look over her child. » He could see the news wounded the young Prince inside, he tried to hide it the best he could, but Beocca was always good at reading people. « I must tell you now, I am sure they will be whispers by tomorrow … » He sighed, Alfred was a holy man, he was tempted, but he tried his best to suppress his passions. Knowing that the child was « cursed » would torment him. « The women assisting the birth, they think that the child is cursed, my Lord. It is nothing really, just a birthmark and a white strand of hair. They are just being superstitious, my Lord, you should not worry about it. » 

« That would be all Father, thank you. » His voice was raw, his emotions were starting to show and Alfred wanted to be left alone. He would not sleep tonight, he would pray for the mother, but mostly for the child. Aelswith will be happy to know the child is cursed, she probably prayed for it. The Prince would also pray that one day, he would meet the two children he never got to hold. 

Back at the house, Beocca was surprised to see that the dead woman had been washed and the sheets had been changed. The Abbess was sitting, praying while the child slept next to her. He really didn’t know what to say, was there really something special you needed to say in this situation ? The silence was broken by Eunice. 

« I named her Lilith, the women told be how she was born and I saw the marks. Thought it was fitting. A bastard is not a child of God after all, neither was Lilith. » Beocca glared at the woman. How dared she name a pure child after such a filthy woman ? Anger was not what Beocca felt, no, he was fuming. Lilith was Adam’s first wife, she was his equal and would not listen to him. She fled from the Garden of Eden, God tried to bring her back by sending angels after her, in vain. She stayed away, she eventually became a powerful woman and the Queen of Demons. The poor girl, she would never be happy in a nunnery if she is named Lilith, the nuns would treat her badly. The priest hoped he could take her with him, unfortunately, it was not an option. He feared for the child, he promised himself he would visit her every year. Just as Beocca was about to talk, Sister Eunice added. « She will not be baptized, as soon as she is of age to care for herself she will be out of my nunnery. I will not raise the spawn of Satan in my house. For all I care she can become a whore, she will never be a Christian. »

« Sister Eunice, she is a child, how can you be so cold ? » Beocca almost screamed, he couldn’t believe the woman. Did she lack of a heart ? 

« She is under my care now Father, I will do as I wish with the child. If you wanted her to be loved, surely you would have brought her to her father, wouldn’t you ? » She looked at him, daring him to say something. She had won, she knew it. Just then, the child woke her crying, as if she knew. Deep down, she knew that her life would be miserable, at least that was what Beocca thought, if only he knew back then, the child was destined to greatness. Kissed by the Devil she might not be, but a warrior she would become.


	2. Gift from the Gods

Her birthday was soon, she would be turning three this year. As always, Father Beocca would come to the nunnery to bring her a gift, well two gifts. One was from Beocca and the second from the King, her father, but the girl didn’t know that. Lilith was getting excited, she didn’t like it here. The nuns were mean to her, and Abbess Eunice treated her like she was a slave. The little girl liked the garden, though, she was free to do anything in the garden, the nuns never watched over her. Sister Alianor was the only one that was kind to her, she was the one taking care of her. The nun loved for the little girl, she refused to think she did something wrong, the girl was pure, shining with innocence. She ran around the garden all day, chasing butterflies and ladybugs. The others believed her to be the spawn of Satan, just because of some stupid birthmarks. Alianor believed her to be special, she felt that deep down, the girl was never going to stay here, among nuns, not that the Abbess would allow it anyway. How could Lilith stay ? She hadn’t been baptized. It was a miracle that Eunice didn’t give her to any of the people from the closest village, Sister Alianor was sure it was because of who the girl was. Daughter of the Prince, now King. Like every year, the nuns were waiting for Father Beocca to come, he visited every year to see the girl. He would spend a week and then would be on his way. The king allowed him to go, he knew where he was going. Beocca never told anyone, but Alianor was sure the second gift he always brought, the much more sophisticated one, was from the King. The priest didn’t have enough money to buy such beautiful presents for the little girl.   
Lilith was chasing a butterfly around the gardens when she saw him. A man, looking like a priest was coming towards her. The look in his eyes was everything but gentleness, you could see there was some cruelty in this man’s soul. The little girl immediately stopped, she could feel something was wrong with this man, even if, according to his dressing, he was a man of the Church. The man smiled at Lilith, it was a wicked smile, the more he approached, the more his smile grew. Lilith ran, she ran as fast as her little legs allowed her. She reached Sister Alianor, almost crying, she was terrified of the man. The nun didn’t understand what was going on with the girl, she was happily chasing bugs like everyday and she came back running, looking like she had seen the Devil. The first thing the nun thought is that she must have fallen and hurt herself. 

« What is wrong, my little bug ? » Alianor said, almost like a whisper, she wanted to sooth the girl. By now, the little girl was crying, hugging the nun’s legs. All she wanted was for Lilith to calm down and explain what happened so the carried the girl, sat on a bench and drew soothing circles on the girl’s back. Doing so, she saw a man approaching, Sister Alianor tensed, were they under attack ? Suddenly, she relaxed, recognizing Father Isaac. It had been a long time since the man visited, the girl must have been frightened by his presence, after all, she grew up around women. Beocca was different, he was the only constants in her life. Lilith had calmed down, but her little hands were still fisting the nun’s dress, her eyes puffy and red from all the crying. What Sister Alianor didn’t see was the blood on the man’s tunic and the marks he had on his face and neck.   
« You got scared of the man ? It’s alright Lilith, he won’t hurt you. He is a priest, just like Beocca. » Her green eyes looked up at Alianor, even with the Sister’s reassurance that the man was good, Lilith didn’t trust her. She had those feelings, the same she had around Abbess Eunice, a feeling that the person was bad. The little girl couldn’t explain those feelings, she already felt like a stranger here, she knew all the nuns didn’t like her, just Alianor did. Trying to explain those feelings would just result in them hating her more. Being considered as the Devil’s spawn was hard enough for the little girl, she was barely three. What they didn’t know was that the girl was blessed with those feelings, she felt some things the other didn’t. As the man approached, the nun got up, with Lilith in her arms, she welcomed the Father in their nunnery, gladly guiding him inside. She definitely failed to notice the blood, but Lilith didn’t. She put her head in Alianor’s neck, crying again, afraid the man would hurt them. 

North from the nunnery, a woman was found in the wood, crying and bloody. She was brought back to her village, under the protection of Magnus Erikson, also known, by the Danes, as Magnus the Wise. He was watching the young ones fighting, they trained with wooden sword, still too young to hold a real one. He was smiling down on them, proud of each and every one of them. The peaceful atmosphere was broken by two men screaming, searching for their Lord. When Magnus approached them, he could see they were carrying a woman. It was Astrid, Magnus knew then something terrible happened to the sweet woman, she didn’t know how to fight, she couldn’t defend herself. She was a healer, she had gone into the forest looking for special herbs, something she did every week. Danes knew better than to attack someone this close for his village, they knew Magnus would defend each and everyone one of his people, woman or man, young one or elder, fighter or healer. 

« What happened ? » Magnus asked, his voice calm as he led the three into his home. This was not a public matter, not yet. It would be when he decided to attack the person who did it. The woman was put on his bed, she was not crying anymore. She had a look in her eyes, a look of pure hatred, of pure anger. 

« It was a man, he found me in the forest and he … » She couldn’t say it yet, Astrid was still in shock. The men understood, after all, she had bruises on her wrists, her throat was bloody and her dress was destroyed. 

« Saxon or Dane ? » It was an important question, it would determine the way the fighting would go. If the man was a Dane, he would ask his Lord for his life, if the Lord refused that meant war. If the man was a Saxon, Magnus would not bargain, he would find the man and kill him. The Saxons would never allow a man to die for a rape, the Danes had respect, most leaders would allow it. 

« He was a Saxon, I think he was a man of their God. He was dressed like a priest. He said .. he said he needed relief before he went on his way, said he couldn’t be tempted around women of God. » Women of God, Magnus knew where the man was. He was familiar with the Saxon culture, if he wanted to live in peace, he needed to know how his neighbors lived. A nunnery was not far from his settlement, that is where the priest would be. 

« Stefán, you will send your oldest son to the nunnery south, have him spy to see if a priest is there. He will leave immediately. » His attitude changed, he became cold and blood-thirsty. He wanted the man dead, his head on Astrid’s doorstep, she deserved it. He would never let a crime go unpunished. « Astrid, Jón will take you home, if you want, he will stay with you for the night. Understood ? »

« Yes, Lord. » The two men answered together. 

Jón and Stefán were two of his most trusted men. They knew each other since they were kids, they fought together for many years. Stefán had two sons, the oldest, Sigurd, was 16 years old and the youngest, Leif, was 5 years old. Both would be fierce warriors, Magnus knew it. He treated them like his own sons, having none of his own. His wife died years ago, the love of his life, died fighting alongside him. Now she was waiting in Valhalla for him. Magnus never loved a woman again after that, how could he ? When he died, he would announce that his heir would be either Sigurd or Leif.   
Sigurd left immediately, Jón stayed with Astrid. Magnus returned to the children fighting, he would wait for Sigurd to return before he alerted his warriors that they were to move. They would go as an army, though they would not kill the women there. They were innocent, probably oblivious to the man’s action. They would only kill him, the army was a way of frightening him, but it was also a way of surrounding the nunnery, he would not get away. By nightfall, Sigurd was finally back, bringing good news. The man was there and he was alone, no other priests or monks with him. Other than the priest, he saw women, a lot of them, and a child. No one else was around. It was decided then, they would prepare during the night, and march by dawn. The man would die before noon. 

Lilith, like every day, was in the garden. Sitting down, she looked at the flowers and all the little animals. When she woke, the little girl had a feeling this day was going to be special, it was going to change everything. She wanted to tell Sister Alianor, but she forgot the minute she saw a ladybug flying in the garden. It was still early, but the little girl was already tired, she ran after everything flying in the garden, while Alianor was sitting on a bench, she was making a dress for Lilith. It was a peaceful morning, Father Isaac and Abbess Eunice were talking, looking through the window. They were watching the little girl, Eunice told him everything about her, she mentioned also how she hated the girl, and wanted her gone. She couldn’t because every year, Father Beocca would visit, reporting everything to the new King she was sure of it. They talked about how unfortunate an accident would be. They were far from knowing, this « accident » was coming their way.   
The sweet little girl was oblivious to what people said about her, she was still too young to truly understand hatred. She knew the other nuns didn’t like her, but she couldn’t understand why. Lilith watched a butterfly on a flower, it was really beautiful, she had never seen one like this. Soon, the butterfly started flying away, the little girl chased after it, her little legs made her a bit slow but still, she managed to follow it. Too caught up on the butterfly, she didn’t notice that she was running towards a man. The girl was son focused on the bug she didn’t notice the tiny hole in the grass resulting in her falling down. She loved the grass, she didn’t mind laying down for some minutes, even though she would probably ruin her dress and Abbess Eunice would not be happy, well, she was never happy anyway. She turned around, looking at the sky, trying to see forms in the clouds. Falling asleep was another option, she was so tired. She closed her eyes for some seconds, when she opened them again, a man was looking at her. He was different than the man from yesterday, Lilith didn’t feel the need to run, to cry or to hide. She knew he would not hurt her, she felt it. His eyes were good, gentle and soft. Sensing nothing bad coming from this man, she smiled brightly at him.   
Magnus watched the child as she fell to the floor, she didn’t hurt herself, he was sure of that. How didn’t she see them ? That was a mystery, the little girl was following a butterfly, so interested in it that she was oblivious to the world around her, that was dangerous. He approached her slowly, not wanted to scare her, who was he to hurt a child ? She was probably younger than Leif. By the time he reached her, she had turned around. Opening her eyes, they looked directly into each other’s eyes. After some seconds, the little girl smiled at him. That was a surprised, Magnus thought she would be scared of him. But here she was, the sweet child was smiling at him, of course, he smiled back, he even helped her up. Never letting his hand go, the girl led him toward the nunnery, he didn’t know why, but he followed her, signaling his men to follow. As the Sister on the bench noticed them coming, she screamed what he supposed was the little girl’s name. He could see the nun was conflicted between getting Lilith and warning the nuns. She did the latter, ran inside, leaving the little girl, still holding his hands, with him. 

« My name is Magnus, and who are you, young lady ? » The Dane asked, crouching to look into her eyes. He knew her name, but he wanted to make her feel comfortable. Magnus loved children, nothing would make him hurt one. 

« I am called Lilith. » She said quietly, she was a bit shy, but she wasn’t scared. She rubbed her eyes, it wasn’t even noon yet, chasing butterflies must have tired the little girl. Carefully, he picked up the girl, seeing new people coming out of the nunnery. 

Abbess Eunice was scared, she would not admit it. Of course, she heard of the Danes nearby, but they never were a problem, what made them change their minds ?

« What are you doing here ? We have nothing, we are a religious home, there is no silver, no gold. » She shouted from the front door, the nuns behind were all whispering about how Lilith was with him. 

« I am not here for gold or silver, woman. I want the man that is with you, the priest. You are protecting a criminal, and his crime hurts one of my people. It will not good unpunished. » Magnus was starting to get angry, he is sure the Abbess would not let the priest go. 

« Whatever his crime is, it will be God who punishes him, not some heathen like you. » Eunice spat, her hatred for the Dane was clear. « You can keep the girl in exchange for Father Isaac’s life, she is the Devil’s spawn anyway, I want her away. » At this, Sister Alianor cried out about how unfair it was, she was kept inside by the other nuns. Her sweet little bug would be sent away for a criminal ? 

« Rape will not be forgotten. I will have this man's life, but I will also keep the child. You don’t seem fond of her. Please, do tell me why you think she is the child of your Devil ? » He was trying to gain some time, to come up with a plan to get the man without hurting any women. It was not in his intentions to kill someone else, the priest was the only one dying today. 

« Don’t you see her hair ? The white strand ? It is from where the Devil kissed her when she was born. Furthermore, he branded her on her left hand, a crescent moon. » So that was all ? A birthmark and some white hair, surely the Abbess couldn’t be serious. He could hear cries of a woman, swearing the girl was not cursed, that woman was kept inside though. 

« Christians. » Magnus laughed before adding. « You will never cease to amaze me. Hatred directing at a little girl for what ? A birthmark ? And here I thought we were the heathens here. » Saying this, his warriors laughed with him. « Now, now, where is the man ? » He stopped laughing, a wicked smile still on his face, the smile wasn’t warm, nor welcoming. He became the warrior everyone was afraid of. « Stefán, please take the girl. » She was fast asleep by now, feeling truly safe in the arms of the man she barely knew. He wanted her safe, he would take her away from this place. This was a gift from the Gods, a little girl, of his own. He always thought he would die without a child, but here she was, asleep in his arms, she was truly all he could have asked for. Christians hated her ? Danes would respect her, love her and protect her. Christians’ hatred would turn into fear, hearing the name Lilith would make them run inside their home, praying to their god. She would be a fierce warrior, he knew, after all, she was his daughter wasn’t she ?   
Father Isaac was scared, he was standing behind Sister Eunice. She wouldn’t let the heathen take him. The priest would deny everything, the nuns would believe him, after all, he was a Holy Man. He locked eyes with the Dane, he knew then, the man would not stop. He wanted to turn around and hide, but he was pushed outside by Sister Alianor. She pushed him so hard, he tumbled to the floor. Magnus took this as a sign and rushed toward the man. Abbess Eunice didn’t do anything, she couldn’t fight, not that she would have anyway. Her only concerned was the girl, and she was not under her authority anymore. She’d let the man who took her take the priest’s life, her story would be better. She would tell Beocca that a Dane kidnaped the little Lilith and killed the priest at the same time. 

« The man will die by the hand of the woman he hurt. We will be on our way now, our intentions were never to hurt you. The girl will be safe and taken care of, she deserves it. » Magnus stated, Jón was by his side, tying the priest hands, leading him towards the others. 

« She is the King’s bastard, you better without her. She is a cursed child anyway, God will never love her. » Abbess Eunice shouted, behind her, Sister Alianor was the only one crying. She was losing her little bug. Deep down, she knew the man would take care of her, she had seen the look in his eyes when he talked about her. 

« That is good. Your God will never love her, but our Gods already do. » With these words, Magnus was on his way. The girl would be raise surrounding by love, friends and fighting. Like a true Dane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you can also found me on Tumblr and Wattpad, same URL : ucancallmechlo   
> Feedbacks are always appreciated :)  
> Lots of Love.


	3. Belonging

Lilith grunted falling to the floor, a sword to her throat. Sweat and dirt covered her face, the young girl was tired and her body ached. Her sword was out of reach and her dagger had been discarded during the fight. She knew what was coming. 

« Dead. » She could hear the smirk, Lilith sighed, it was the fourth time her father said that in 10 minutes. Magnus laughed at the sight of her anger, practicing with a real sword was nothing like practicing with a wooden stick. He helped his girl up, messing with her hair. « Don’t be too hard on yourself, a real sword is heavier than a wooden one. The transition is always difficult, but you are doing well. The first times Sigurd fought with Stefán, the boy was traumatized for weeks, now look at the man, he is a beast. » Magnus was proud of her, he didn’t want her to feel down because she couldn’t wield a sword now, it was her first times practicing, she stared four days ago. Lilith was still young, just turned 14, she had time to learn. As soon as she was on her feet, he attacked again. 

Lilith wasn’t the same shy little girl, she had grown up. Chasing butterflies around the garden was long behind her, now she was a warrior, at least she liked to think she was. She didn’t have a hard time adjusting here, the little girl wasn’t even three years old when she arrived. She was introduced as Magnus’s daughter, no one dared refute it. Growing up with the Danes, she felt at home, she felt loved. For the first time in her life, she had persons that loved her, she had friends. Her closest friend was Leif, Stefán’s youngest son. Leif was 16 years old now, the boy knew how to fight and would often tease Lilith about her inability to hold a sword, too heavy for her. She would always answer that she preferred daggers, they were more practical. She always had a fascination for daggers, she was much more agile with them than with a sword. She had been wielding a real sword for less than a week, but she already knew she didn’t like it, an axe would be better. Lilith never said anything, she endured the long hours of training, she wanted to make her father proud. Magnus was, he told her many times, but it was never enough for the girl. They were not related by blood, so she always felt the need to prove herself to him, and mostly to the others. She was scared they still thought she was just the King’s bastard. They never made her feel like she was less than anyone here, she was a true Dane, they knew it and so did she. Sometime, her mind would play tricks on her, making her think they didn’t love her, that they just felt pity for the small cursed child from the nunnery.   
She became a beautiful girl, of course her white strand didn’t go anywhere, nor did the birthmark on her hand. If you looked close enough, the girl had Alfred’s nose, other than this, she didn’t look anything like the King, Magnus was happy with this. The world didn’t need to know who she was. The more she grew, the more she had those feelings around people, she could feel if their intentions were good are not. She felt it with Father Isaac years ago, and the man was long dead, killed by Astrid, 11 years ago. Astrid was better now, she helped raise the girl, she taught her how to braid her hair, how to sew, but also how to use herbs for healing and poisoning. Even if she couldn’t kill you with a sword yet, Lilith was able to kill you during your dinner. Astrid taught her the power of herbs in case the girl was captured. She prayed the Gods it never happened, but she made sure Lilith was ready. Astrid had children of her own, after the night Jón spent in her house, they got closer. Happily married, they were expecting their third child. Astrid swore they would be the last, but judging by the look in Jón’s eyes, they would be more. They had two little girls already, Jón secretly wished this one was a boy. Lilith told him, many times, it would be another girl, she felt it, the man never listened. 

Magnus and Lilith trained every day, just like the other young ones would. All of them were trained in case a war was declared. They have been at peace for a long time, the incident at the nunnery didn’t bring the King to Magnus’s doorstep like he thought it would, after all, he took his daughter. No, Lilith wasn’t Alfred’s, she was his. Alfred was not ready to die for the girl, Magnus was. She wasn’t Alfred’s bastard here, she was Lilith Magnussdóttir, and the Gods knew how much he loved her. It was not Alfred that would let her sleep with him when she had nightmares, it was not Alfred that would tell her stories of their gods so she’d go to sleep. Magnus didn’t hate the King, no, he was grateful, Alfred gave him the most precious thing in his life : his little flower, Lilith. The girl had always been obsessed with flowers, bugs and animals, she would always go into the forest with Astrid and brought so many flowers back. The nickname stuck through the years, she would always be his little flower. He would often tease her by calling her that in front of Leif or Sigurd, he knew she was embarrassed by it.   
Magnus started training the children earlier this year, he had heard of the Daneslayer, Uhtred Ragnarsson, the King’s puppet. He was scared the King would show unwanted attention to them, now that he had Uhtred in his troops. They were mostly peaceful, they fought when Magnus was sure of the reasons, not just for fame and fortune. He was not ambitious, he was a wise man. He had fought for what he had, he had killed. Stefán and Jón liked to joke saying he had the mind of an old man just because he was tired of fighting. The truth is that he was tired of never feeling at home, raiding meant moving, meant possibly losing your home. Settling was a good thing, they were in a peaceful place, in the Danelaw. All of them were at home. Magnus didn’t really trust this Uhtred Ragnarsson or Uhtred of Bebbanburg, he changed his name depending on who he was with. For the King, he was Uhtred of Bebbanburg, for the Danes, he was Uhtred Ragnarsson. The identity of the man was causing problems, but Magnus knew Ragnar, he was a good man, so Uhtred must be a good man. He also knew Kjartan, the man never did anything to him or his people, Kjartan knew better. After all, he needed a fire to kill Ragnar, the bastard was a coward. 

After training, Lilith visited a very pregnant Astrid. The girl was tired, dirty and hungry, she was sure Astrid had prepared something to eat, the woman was always hungry. As she entered the home, Lilith was happy to see food on the table, her stomach was rumbling. Astrid smiled softly at the girl, before she could ask if it was okay to eat, Astrid pushed a plate in her direction. Lilith rushed to the table and started eating, for a stranger, it looked like the girl hadn’t eaten in days. 

« How was training ? » Astrid asked, she was happy to have someone to talk to. Her little girls were napping, tired after running in the wood all day. Astrid was a beautiful woman, she had long blond hair, she would braid it sometime. She was tall and had curves, more now that she was pregnant again. She had brown eyes, a sharp nose, but the one thing you noticed first was the scar on her neck. The scar was left by the priest years ago, no one talked about it. Eleven years ago, darkness surrounded her, Jón was the one that put her out of it. The love they shared was beautiful, Lilith wished to have something like this. 

« Hard, the sword is still too heavy. My body hurts everywhere, I don’t understand why I cannot just fight with an axe and daggers ! » Lilith was frustrated with her inability to hold a sword more than 5 minutes. « It’s not like I am going to be fighting soon anyway, we are at peace. Father does everything he can to make it last. I have time to learn. » She explained. It was true, the girl had time to learn, as long as Magnus was alive, the peace would last. 

« Don’t be too hard on yourself. It took months for Sigurd and Leif to learn how to perfectly wield a sword. Although, I’m sure, it will not be this hard for you, little warrior. I know they like to tease you, but compared to them, you know which plant to use to make them regret their sayings. » Astrid laughed, she had taught her well. Lilith smiled at her, she was happy and calm now. 

Peace was all she ever knew, Magnus made sure she didn’t know anything else. All the nonsense happening in Wessex was none of his concern, he hoped she would forever be safe. He had visited a seer after he took her away from the nunnery. Magnus was scared, he didn’t know what to do with a child. At first, he went to the seer to know if Alfred would come all the way north for the girl. The answer was clear, the King wouldn’t come. Thinking the seer would stop there, Magnus was ready to kiss his hand and be on his way.   
However, what followed didn’t please Magnus. He remembered those words, they haunted him for a long time : « Her father won’t come for her, but be sure, Magnus Erikson, they will meet in this lifetime. Her future is still uncertain, but I see her next to her siblings, bastard or not. Be reassured, when she meets Alfred, you won’t be of this world. » He knew his life wasn’t eternal, but that meant he was to die soon ? Alive, he would never let her go to Wessex, his little flower didn’t need his protection, however, she was all he had. If she left him, he would be alone again. Lilith had been the light missing, the ray of sunshine that made everything better. At that very moment, Magnus was lost. He had never been afraid of death, it would be a deliverance, eating and drinking with the Gods and his wife in Valhalla was all he could ask for. Now, death was not welcomed with open arms, he dreaded the day he would die, the day he would let his little girl alone in a cruel world. He would make sure that before he died, Lilith would be ready to fight, ready to kill anyone who threatened her.   
Magnus was so lost in his thoughts of that day, he didn’t hear Lilith. She noticed he was not as attentive as he normally was. Slowly approaching, making sure to avoid parts of the floor that made noises, dagger in hand, she was ready. 

« Dead. » Lilith whispered in his ear, as she put her dagger to Magnus’s throat. Her father jumped, scared of the sudden interruption and the sudden blade to his throat. The girl was surprised to see her father so startled, normally, he would always be listening, to any noises. She wondered what thoughts had him locked in his mind. Nevertheless, she laughed a little, happy she finally succeeded in scaring her father, for once also, the role were reversed, he was the one with the blade to his throat. She kissed his cheeks, putting her dagger away. « What were you thinking about ? You always hear me coming. » She asked, genuinely curious. 

« Nothing important, don’t worry. » Magnus smiled, she was still young and safe with him. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. « You are doing great with the sword, soon, you will be stronger than me. » He added quickly, wanting to change the subject. 

« As if I could ever beat, if that happened, it would mean you were dying, Father. » 

« Then you would be in charge, and the strongest woman here. Thinking about this, I have something for you, I think you are old and strong enough. » He disappeared from the room, when he came back, it was with something in his hands. « Here, you have earned it. » 

Lilith carefully took what was in his hand, she gasped, seeing the gift : Thor’s hammer attached to a chain. It was beautifully carved, silver could be seen also. It was a beautiful gift, Lilith had tears in her eyes, receiving Thor’s hammer made her feel like she belonged here. She loved her father, and she knew he loved her, she also knew she was loved by their people, her mind couldn’t stop itself from doubting sometimes. However, receiving such an important gift warmed her heart. The young girl looked up, directly into her father’s brown eyes, his were also tearing up. He was proud of his little flower, never scared of telling her or anyone who cared to listen. Magnus always thought that showing emotions was not a weakness, but a strength, they made you who you were. This is why he despised men like Kjartan, cruel and vile. Loving and crying didn’t make Magnus a weak man.   
As they looked at each other, Magnus could see the same little girl he first saw at the nunnery. Then she smiled, the same bright and genuinely happy smile she had the day he decided she deserved better than those wicked nuns. Just as he was about to speak, she jumped in his arms, hugging him tighter than ever, some tears were running down her cheek, overwhelmed by the symbolism behind a simple necklace. Of course, he hugged her back, hugs had become less frequent now that she wasn’t a child anymore. Magnus was the first to break the silence. 

« I love you, my little flower. » He whispered, kissing her forehead before adding : « My little warrior. I am so proud of you, I always was and I will always be. » Magnus enjoyed this sacred moment, he would think about death later. For now, all he had to think about was the little girl in his arms, his Lilith. He knew she still needed him, just as much as he needed her.


	4. The Last Goodbye

Screams could be heard by everyone in the settlement. All of them could hear it, however, no one was ready to fight, no one had a weapon, no one had anger in their eyes. They were all outside the house where the screaming was coming from, waiting patiently for someone to come out. Magnus and Stefán were waiting by the front door, they were getting restless, the screams had been going on for hours now. Suddenly, everything stopped, no more noises. They all hold their breath, anxious about the new to come. When small cries were heard, they all erupted in laughter, tears and applause, now they would celebrate the new birth. Jón rushed out, smiling like a fool. Lilith must have been right, Magnus knew she was, she always is. 

« It’s a boy ! I have a baby boy ! » Jón was so overwhelmed by the news, he loved his daughters, he would die for them, but a baby boy was all he dreamt of for the last three pregnancies. From the moment he said those words, the crowd erupted with cheers and Jón was given ale and hugs. Tears in his eyes, Jón hugged Magnus and StefáN, the three of them had gone through so much together, they were brothers by now. When one was happy, the two others were too, when one was angry, the two others were ready to fight. 

Inside, Lilith was by Astrid’s side, the mother was holding her new child, sobbing, murmuring how beautiful he was. Lilith was also crying, the girl, now 18 years old, was amazed how a small little, thing could receive so much love. Even she loved the boy already. Looking at Astrid, all Lilith saw was a strong woman, a strong woman that never gave up. Astrid was exhausted, she was sweaty and felt sore, but nothing would take away the pride and the love she felt at this very moment. She felt it three times already and she could never get tired of it. Raelyn, their oldest was 7 years old. The little girl had sat on the bed, trying to look at her new sibling. Nilda was 5 years old, and she was holding her little sister’s hand, the poor little thing was tired, you could see it by the way she kept rubbing her eyes. Their youngest girl, Ciara, was barely 2 years old, she was not used to be up this late. The baby boy was going to be named Silas, the couple talked hours to finally agree on a name for a boy and a name for a girl. They chose to decide for both genders, even though Lilith had repeated they would be a boy.   
Jón came back in the room, a bit drunk that was noticeable. He took his two youngest daughters and carried them to the bed Astrid was in. They all cuddled up around the new baby. Lilith felt like she was too much, she disappeared, but before she passed the door, she looked back fondly at the family. They didn’t even notice her leaving, too caught up in their little bubble of happiness. 

The celebration was still going on outside, Lilith joined a very drunk Stefán and an oddly sober Magnus. Normally, he wasn’t the one to go slow on ale and wine during a birth. Lately, Lilith had noticed her father was changing. Eating less, drinking less, losing weight, coughing a lot more. At first, she didn’t really think anything of it, a simple cold was her theory. When it didn’t stop after a few weeks, she got worried. It has been months, fearing for her father, but mostly fearing the truth, the girl never said a word. 

« After years of humping, they finally have a boy ey ! » Stefán, completely drunk, exclaimed loudly to which the crowd, equally intoxicated, cheered. « The Gods blessed me with two strong boys, but I wouldn’t have said no to a little girl. » He added, only for Magnus and Lilith’s ears this time. Stefán had always been proud of his sons, always encouraging them, even when Sigurd had doubts about becoming a warrior. He never thought less of him, never forced him to fight. If the boy was happy with being a farmer, Stefán would be happy too. 

By now, Lilith had a cup of ale in her hand, she didn’t know how it got here but she drowned it, nevertheless. Once it was finished, the cup was immediately replaced with a full on. Magnus looked at his daughter, smirking, he wouldn’t say anything now, but tomorrow when she would be hungover, it was certain that Magnus would tease her. He would let her this night of celebration; tomorrow was the day he chose to tell her the truth about his condition. Death was catching up with, he could feel he didn’t have a lot of time anymore. After years of fighting, Magnus would not die from an illness. Tomorrow he would ask the unimaginable, he prayed the Gods, she would say yes, he didn’t want to go to Valhalla any other ways.   
Lilith had become better at wielding a sword, over the years of training, she had even beaten Magnus, only once, though. She was able to beat the shit out of Leif anytime, both with a sword and an axe, the man stopped teasing her when she gave him a scar on his arm. Following this event, he stopped talking to her for a week, the boy was too proud and she had hurt his ego. Lilith had scars of her own, the most visible one, was the one on her left cheek given by her father. Lilith had always been free of guilt when it came to the scar on Leif’s body, whereas, when it came to the scar on Lilith’s cheek, Magnus felt like the worst father for some times. He refused to train with her for weeks, she had to fight either Jón or Stefán. 

Living with Magnus and his people was the best thing Lilith could have asked for. Sometimes, she caught herself thinking about what it would have been living as a legitimate daughter of the King, a sweet childhood to hide the fact that she would have been sold to the first man that assured an alliance with Wessex. Here she was free, free to love, free to fight, free to act foolish. Lilith never saw a lot of people outside their camp, she knew her father had business with Kjartan but that was all. Her father never let her come with him, saying Kjartan was not a man to cross. She knew about Ragnar’s death, about how vile and wicked the man was. What she also knew, was that one day, she would be the one doing the business, she needed to learn, she was old enough now.   
As Lilith was lost in thought about Kjartan and his son Sven, Leif approached her, quietly but not really discreet, he was as drunk as his father. Standing tall, age 20, Leif was a fine young man. He had the strength of a warrior, hair dirty blond, long and reaching his shoulders, braided perfectly by Lilith. His eyes were as blue as a sea during a storm, a deep blue that intimidated almost everyone. Lilith always thought he was one of the most beautiful man she has ever seen, but also one of the kindest. When she was younger, she was certain she had been in love with him, every time he smiled at her, she had butterflies in her stomach. The feeling went away growing up mostly because the girl had this feeling around him, making her feel Leif was not meant to become more than a friend, a brother to her. Those feelings of her, they only grew with time, sometimes she even had weird dreams. 

« What are you thinking about, devil’s child ? » Leif whispered in her ear, scaring the girl out of her little dream world. Leif was way taller than her, when she turned to look at him, he was weirdly bent, proving his intoxication. « Devil’s child » was something Leif always called her, she took no insult in it, her father always taught her Christians were more narrow-minded than them, but that didn’t mean they should disrespect them or treat them with violence. A lot of Christians were peaceful and nonthreatening. The most important of Magnus’s lessons was that if you treat people with respect and kindness, they would always answer with peace. 

« Nothing important, just about Kjartan for some reasons. » She laughed a bit, Leif and Lilith never talked about politics, too young and careless to think about it, but lately Lilith thought more and more about it, again those damn feelings made her feel like she had to. 

« Kjartan ? I never wish to meet him, the man is mad. » Leif was more of a fighter than a politician, he put the subject aside and added : « So they had a boy, just like you said they would. Care to explain how you were again right ? » By now, the duo walked away from their fathers, going into the wood, mostly walking towards the river. 

« I already told you Leif, I had - » 

« A feeling, yes, I know. Thought it would be different this time. You are so predictable Lilith. » He laughed, and as always, she laughed with him. 

From then, they walked in silence. Sometimes, their hands would touch, but neither cared. As they arrived at the river, Leif was the first on to take his shoes off, lying on the grass with his feet in the cold water. Lilith didn’t feel like getting sick, it was the middle of autumn, the days were getting colder, but Lief simply didn’t care. However, she lay in the grass next to him, both looking at the stars. 

« Something is about to change soon, it’s about to destroy all we have ever known. I still don’t know what it is, but I know it is coming. However, I am not sure we are prepared for it. » Lilith felt she needed to tell him that. Last night, she woke up, sweating and crying. She didn’t remember her dream, but she knew something terrible happened in it. 

« Lilith » The boy sighed, he knew that she would get anxious before winter, for some reasons, when her birthday approached, she always had nightmares. When they were younger, she would come into his bed for reassurance when she didn’t want to wake Magnus up. « You know that we will always be here for you. Your father, mine, Jón, Astrid, me, damn even my brother will be here for you. ». Leif never lied, that was one of his qualities, he never felt the need to lie. If people wouldn’t take the truth, it was not his problem. « Can you braid my hair, pretty please ? I fought earlier and it’s a bit destroyed. » That was his solution for her to get her mind out of the dark place it was getting into. 

That was how they spent most of their night at the river, Lilith braided Leif’s hair, twice because he didn’t like it the first time, ungrateful turd. They talked about happy things, the boy has been always the one thinking about the subjects of their conversation. They both adored nights like this one, where they could forget about what was happening back at their camp. The warrior was the first to fall asleep, feet still in the water. Lilith followed soon after, she knew they would regret sleeping outside by this time of the year, but she didn’t care. 

Walking back home hungover was harder than they thought it would be. Arriving home, Lilith knew her father was waiting for her, the sun was already high in the sky. However, when she entered, no one was in sight. Naively, she thought she could get in bed and sleep for the rest of the day. As she walked toward her room, her movements were stopped when she heard her father’s voice. 

« Had fun last night, little flower ? » Magnus was smirking, Lilith knew he was. Smugness would be heard in the tone of his voice. « Come, it’s time we have a conversation you and I. » His smile disappeared quickly, he felt sad, guilty even, about the conversation that was to follow. 

Lilith thought he would tell her to stop sleeping in the forest unarmed, like he had always done after she spent the night out. However, turning around, she didn’t recognize the look in his face. What she saw was not only concerned, but sadness, guilt too. In silence, the girl walked over to the chair across her father, fear spreading in her like a wildfire. 

« Kjartan is an evil man, but if I don’t business with him it’s because I have to. Over the years, he has built a fortress, unbreakable with an army far larger than ours. » That was not the conversation Lilith was expected, was he finally going to let her be part of the trade between the men ? « You will approach him in the future, what he demands his weapons of any kind, swords, axes, daggers. In exchange, he promises to not attack us. We could probably humiliate him by destroying a part of his men if we are prepared, however, I always felt like it was a necessary war. You don’t want an enemy like Kjartan, he doesn’t play by the rules you and I know. Look what happened to Ragnar. Speaking of Ragnar, you’ll know if you meet him, with your feelings, Uhtred Ragnarsson is someone you can trust. He is volatile, changing names all the time, but he is loyal. He fought battle for the King even after Alfred locked him up in a cage. » 

The girl didn’t understand what was the point of the conversation, but she listened nevertheless. She drank his words like always, making notes in her minds about what he told her. Magnus continued. 

« Alfred is a man you should not cross, but he is not a man you should respect either. He is not your King, and will never be. Saxons will never accept Danes, because we are not like them, they accept Uhtred because he is both, but mostly because he is born a Saxon and a Christian. The truth is you were born a bastard, you are an insult to the Queen and to her children, she would do anything to see you gone when you will go to Wessex. You have a brother also, an illegitimate one. I don’t know his name, but you will, in this lifetime, you will meet your siblings, all of them. » Magnus hesitated before he said the next words. « You will meet your father in this lifetime. » Those words, they always pained him, played tricks with his mind. He was her father, and will always be.   
« What are you talking about ? You are my father, that bastard sitting on the throne of Wessex is nothing more than the man that abandoned me because I was a mistake. You showed me I wasn’t, you took me away from this nunnery, gave me love and forged me into the strong woman I am today. This is all your doing. All Alfred ever did was fucking the wrong woman. » They never talked about Alfred, Lilith always got angry talking about him. « How do you even know all this ? Why are you telling me now ? Father, you are scaring me. » Panic was slowly making its way into her mind, her mind was thinking of so many scenarios, so many things at the same time. 

« I went to a seer years ago, he told me you were destined for great things. He told me, I would not be alive to see you achieve them. The seer was right, I am dying Lilith, after years of fighting wars, settling this camp, taking care of all of you, the last thing I want is to die because of an illness. It has been years since I’ve felt weaker, thought it would pass, but it doesn’t. » This conversation was harder that he expected it. 

« What … what are you talking about ? You are not dying, father, you are not ! » Raw feelings was what she felt at that very moment. Anger, sadness, fear of the words Magnus would say next. Tears were making their way to her cheeks, she couldn’t care less, what she cared about was her father, who was not dying, he couldn’t be. 

« Lilith, what I am about to ask you is unforgivable I know. I will accept that you refuse, know that you are not forced to do it. Understood ? » He was calm, too calm for what he was about to ask. His daughter nodded. « I need words, little flower, please. ». Weakly, the girl said yes, she was terrified. « I want it to be you. »  
At first, Lilith didn’t understand the meaning behind those words, confusion settled on her face. Her beautiful freckled face was tearful, Magnus could see her mind doing the work to understand what he asked her. The second she realized what he asked, she was up on her feet, disgust and anger clear on her face. 

« How can you demand that of me ? » Lilith was yelling. « I will not kill you ! Ask me anything else. » She fell on her knees in front of him, taking his hands in hers. By now she was sobbing. « I will visit every place in the world to find a healer, the best one ! I will even beg Alfred if you ask me, I’ll beg him until he accepts to give me a healer, even if my freedom is the price. The Gods know I will, ask me this, please Father, it’s you I am begging ! »   
Looking at his little flower now, Magnus realized she would do anything for him, just as much as he would do it for her. Before he could say anything Lilith added. 

« I will do it, if it’s how you truly desire to go to Valhalla, I will. I can’t deny you this, I cannot and I will not. » Tears were running down her face, nothing could stop them. Putting her head in his lap, she cried more. Magnus was crying too, all he had the force to say was a simple « Thank you. », so quietly, he wasn’t even sure Lilith heard it. When she sobbed him harder, he knew she did. 

Until late at night, they talked about what would happen once Magnus was dead. Of course, she would be in charge, but she’d need Stefán and Jón to help her. It was difficult for the both of them, but they had to organize the succession, Magnus’s people were going to accept it, of course, they loved Lilith as much as they loved Magnus. He told her more about the trade with Kjartan, how to talk to him. The one thing she learnt about the man, was never to talk about Ragnar, Uhtred or the missing eye from his son Sven. He told her also about who were loyal to him and those who were not. That was when she learnt about the existence of Kjartan’s bastard : Sihtric, stuck between the wall of Dunholm. When her father said his name, the girl felt something, like her body was trying to tell her Sihtric will be important for her, she didn’t tell it to her father.   
They agreed they would inform the other tomorrow, preparing everything for next week. Lilith had one week to prepare herself, words would spray and be deformed. For the Saxons, she would be known and Lilith, the Dane that killed her father, some Danes might even believe it too. That night, she dreamt about her future, about how the Saxons would fear just hearing her name, but what she recalled the most waking up were eyes, of two different colours, her dream showed her they would be an important part of her life. 

Waking up, Lilith felt like she was about to throw up. Like all the other nights of this week, she woke up next to Leif. All those nights, she had nightmares, tormenting her about what would happen this very day. The girl didn’t want to worry Magnus, so she ran to the person she loved the most after Magnus : Leif. They would talk all night and he would ask her to braid his hair, seeing it was a good distraction for her. When she was really exhausted, Leif would offer her his comfort, like he has always done, and she accepted it. That was why they would wake up, still cuddling from the night. Today was different, Lief presence didn’t calm her nerves, she fell asleep because crying tired her out, however, her sleep was not calm. Normally, sleeping in Leif’s bed would make the nightmare go away, this time, it didn’t work.   
A death, here, was celebrated as much as a birth. They would feast, laugh, cry for the dead, who was doing just the same with Odin. As Lilith walked back home, she saw they were preparing the sacrifices, the feast, but what triggered her was the bed made of woods. Magnus would be burnt there, tonight, and she would be alone. Lilith noticed she was crying on the floor when Astrid asked her what was wrong. At that very moment, Lilith broke down and cried, she cried in Astrid’s arm, just like a newborn babe would do. The girl never felt like she was in need of a mother, but on this dreadful day, she wished, just once, that her mother was still alive, here, with her. Astrid took her back home, the mother could even imagine what Lilith was going through, losing a father was hard enough, killing him would destroy her. Once home, Lilith locked herself in her room, she would stay there until it was time. 

« Are you sure you made the right decision ? » Astrid asked Magnus, she loved him, but she couldn’t help herself, doubting his judgment. He was the man that brought her the monster that raped her. 

« I don’t know anymore Astrid. I know it is my time to go, I am weaker than yesterday and stronger than tomorrow. I coughed blood this morning, all the plants you tried didn’t work. This is the only way. » The warrior couldn’t imagine himself dying in his bed, he was not that weak. Death was going to take him by the end of a sword. 

It was time, Lilith knew it. From her room, she heard the applause and cheers from the crowd. She had changed, wearing a simple white blouse and trousers that would allow her to move more freely. Getting out, she saw her father, dressed like a King showing that he may die today, but it didn’t diminish all he had accomplished in his life. Keeping her tears from falling, she rushed towards him, hugging him … one last time. 

« I love you, little flower, always. » Those words were all he said before they left their home, soon, Lilith would be alone here. 

As they prepared for the fight, Lilith and Magnus were covered in goat’s blood, a sacrifice to the Gods, giving them strength and protection. Astrid blessed their weapons, an axe and a sword each, plus a dagger for Lilith. 

« Tonight is the night I will join Odin and my wife. Tonight I will feast with the Gods and you will feast with us here. » Magnus needed to speak to them, one last time. His people, their people were gathered around them. « I will ask you one thing, don’t cry for me. Know that I will be happy and I will be waiting for each and every one of you. You have made me proud all those years, you will make me proud forever. Know that I will watch over you, I will tell Odin all your strength so that he makes you stronger, I will ask Thor to bless your cultures with rain. Do not fear for me, my friends, for I am going in peace, feeling loved and loving in return. » Some were crying by now, Stefán and Jón being a part of them. « I am leaving you in good hands, Lilith’s. You will all take care of each other, like we have always done. I chose this, I didn’t want to die in my bed from an illness while I have been fighting my entire life. What we have achieved is beautiful, I am begging you to stay united, strong once I am gone. Tonight, get drunk, eat more than your stomach can take, laugh and cheer. I want my funeral to be fucking remembered. You know already, but I love you, even the unborn one, even the dead one. I remember every one of you, I am happy that I will be reunited with them tonight. » Magnus had captivated the crowd, he had that power. By now, even he was crying. « Now, we fight ! » Magnus exclaimed, to which the crowd cheered. 

Lilith and her father got into position. Astrid was blessing the ground they would fight on, after she was done, they attacked each other. Fighting with her father was a routine Lilith was used to, she had been doing it since she was 14 years old, but it felt different. Magnus didn’t have the same energy, the illness really slowed him down, made him a bit sloppy. While Lilith was thinking about the differences between the first time she fought him and now, Magnus took the advantage, his blade grazing her left leg, making her kneel before him. Magnus wouldn’t go down without a last good fight. That surely got Lilith out of her trance, she took the advantage of before close to the floor and took some dirt, throwing it in the man’s eyes. Now she was the one with the advantage, getting up she attacked him, bringing her sword down, opening him from shoulder to stomach. The wound was not deep, but he lost his balance, falling to the ground. In the process, he lost his sword, leaving him defenceless, at least that was what Lilith thought. Approaching his figure on the ground, Lilith didn’t feel strong enough to kill him. Surprising her, Magnus planted a small knife in the foot next his hand, doing so Lilith too, lost her balance. Both of them were now lying on the ground, next to each other.   
The crowd was silent, no one dared to make a noise. They all watched, holding their breath, waiting for the next moves. She felt Magnus move beside her, it was now or never. She wouldn’t find the strength in her to do it later. Griping the dagger, Lilith turned, putting the dagger directly in her father’s heart. Before he could take his final breath, she made sure he had his sword in hand, she would never forget herself if her father died without a weapon. Magnus was crying. His last words were meant only for her ears, he whispered them weakly. 

« Thank you my little flower, I am proud of you. » As he said that, he finally left this world in his daughter’s embraced. She had her head on his stomach, she was not crying, not yet. She hadn’t realized what she had done, she had killed her father. 

No one made a sound, the dagger was still in Magnus’s heart with Lilith’s hand gripping it. When Leif was going to approach the young girl, she let out the most heartbreaking cry. The scream resonated in the silence that the crowd didn’t dare break. Most we crying by now, a lot were praying for Magnus’s soul to find Valhalla in peace. She was sobbing, gripping her father’s corpse, whispering how she loved him, about how it was time to go home, that she would join him soon. Now, she was alone, they said their last goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry.


	5. Just Children

The ale here was nothing like the one they had back home, it was bitter. Lilith and Leif were seated at the alehouse, waiting for the night to fall. Kjartan had requested them, and the weapons this day, but made them wait once they have arrived. Dunholm was a very weird place, full of life, but also full a misery. From the moment she had set foot in the city, Lilith had a weird feeling, a feeling of being watched. 

« So I don’t really understand. We have come here, just you and I … without any weapons. » Leif asked, he was a soldier after all. Lilith dragged him into politics because he was the person she trusted the most. 

« Yes. What is your point Leif ? » She sighed, giggling a little. Sometimes, he could be dumb, eventually, he would find the solution himself, with a bit of help from Lilith. 

« Well, it’s been two years since your father died, and last year Kjartan said it was okay not to bring weapon because of your lost, which was truly shocking if you are interesting in my thoughts. Like the man is a monster, how could he do this ? Empathy doesn’t look good on him. » Leif rambled. 

Lilith got lost in thoughts the moment Leif started to drone about Kjartan and his hatred for the man. She never thought she would be here, in Dunholm, without her father. Lilith missed Magnus, but the wound he left two years ago, became a scar. It was difficult at first, being the leader of so many people while grieving, but she wasn’t alone. Leif had become her second in command, of sorts, because he cared more about his popularity with girls, and boys if Lilith was being honest, than politics. The boy had no shame, he was handsome, incredibly so, and he knew it. Stefán and Jón helped her a lot, they taught her everything Magnus didn’t have time to. Here she was then, with Leif, in Dunholm without weapons.   
Lilith had heard the rumors about her and like she predicted, the Saxons were terrified of the girl that killed her father. Her name even arrived in Wessex, Alfred knew about her doing, she was sure he considered her as a threat. In she ever stepped a foot in Wessex, she was in for a hell of a ride. A person Lilith could consider a threat was Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Alfred’s puppet. He was now famous for being the Daneslayer, killing his own people. Well, she guessed if she had the opportunity to kill everyone here and Kjartan, she would. The difference was that Uhtred was killing for the King. 

« So I’m guessing, we are not here to kill him or his sons. » Leif announced, that was when Lilith payed attention. The girl frowned, how did he come to this ? « My theory is we will either make a big scene about how you are the alpha or we will not talk and just leave the place after the meeting. My bet is more on the first one though. What is it, then, Devil’s child ? » Smirking, he looked at her directly in her eyes. 

« I am just tired of making my men work for Kjartan. We have been trained to fight for years, it’s time it serves its purpose : defending ourselves. I am tired of being Kjartan’s puppet, I will never bend to a man, even less bend for Kjartan. My plan is to explain him very calmly, and if he doesn’t understand, I’ll bring Uhtred and his son in the conversation. » Leif’s smirk turned into a frown while Lilith was the one smirking now. 

« We are dying tonight, that’s it. You are getting us killed tonight. » Leif got up, and started pacing. « I cannot believe you have come to Dunholm to humiliate him in front of his men. » The boy was almost yelling by now, people around the alehouse started to notice them. 

« Leif calm down and shut up ! You are bringing unwanted attention. I am not planning to humiliate him, he will be humiliating himself. He will be the one creating a scene, you and I, we will just be watching. » Lilith was quite proud of her plan, true, getting Kjartan angry was probably not the best idea, but it was hers and she would go through with it. 

« Speaking of watching, you are being watched, little girl. » Leif had sat back down, drowned his and Lilith’s cup. Before she could speak, he added : « Yes, you know already because you felt it. Care to tell me who the mysterious, dark and handsome man is ? »

« I figured it was Sihtric, Kjartan’s bastard son. Before you freak out, he will not rat us out, he is a slave here too, as much as the girl in the basement. And before you get any ideas, you are not fucking him Leif, you have a whorehouse, if you want. Not even sure he would want to fuck you anyway. » Lilith laughed at this, she hadn’t seen the man yet, but she could tell he was not interesting by Leif, at least not currently. 

« Don’t worry, Lilith, his eyes are glued on you. You should consider getting laid one last time before Kjartan kills us, and let me tell you, the man looked handsome … when I saw him following us for 3 seconds. He knows this place that for sure, he disappeared the second he realized I saw him. Anyway, like I said, I will be getting laid before Kjartan murders us and throw our bodies in the river. Care to come with me to the whorehouse ? » Leif was already on his feet, ready to leave her alone at the alehouse. 

« No, I’m good, I don’t like being watched anyway. Oh, and we are not dying today, if you shut your mouth and let me do everything, we shall live. Have fun and be here by sunset ! » She screamed the last part, the boy had left the minute she said no.

Left alone, Lilith anticipated the moment she would have to prove Kjartan she was not her father, she made her own choices. Until her father told her, Lilith noticed the blacksmiths working harder around the end of winter, never minded it. Those men were working hard, not for Magnus, not for his men, but for the monster that was Kjartan. Lilith decided that no more men or women would work for him, if he wanted weapons, he’d make them himself. Before taking this decision, she went to Jón and Stefán, asking for their opinions on the matter. It was a bold choice, fearing the consequences was normal, but prepared, they could take Kjartan’s men. He threats worked when Magnus had only small children to take care of, now the children were fierce warriors and shieldmaidens, ready to defend the elders and the youth. Furthermore, Jón pointed out that they had the advantage of knowing the land and the forest, establishing a plan would be easy for them. That was exactly what the two men were doing back at home, preparing everything in case of an immediate attack, in case Lilith and Leif didn’t make it back from Dunholm. Killing Lilith was the promise of an atrocious death, Kjartan knew it, they all knew it, but no one was capable of guessing what the man would do, when angered.   
The girl, still sitting alone, thought about how she could try and make an ally out of Sihtric, the boy was spying on her since they had arrived. He probably thought he was discreet but Lilith felt his eyes on her, she still felt them. What she didn’t know, however, was that Sihtric was a very good spy, if he didn’t want to be seen, he wouldn’t. The young man wanted Lilith to notice him, he wanted to talk to her, to find a way of getting out of here. 

Sihtric did his best to lure Lilith to a quiet place, he couldn’t approach her out in the open. Men knew who he was, who his father was and having him approaching the girl would look suspicious. The bastard was forbidden to deal with anything politic, he was given orders and he followed them. His mother’s death was a reminder that he was nothing here, not better than any men here. Sihtric had heard their conversation, not minding that the man with Lilith found him handsome, what he cared for more was that Lilith knew who he was, he could use that to his advantage. Watching from afar, he could help but find the girl beautiful, who wouldn’t ? He liked her hair, a soft brown marked by a light blond strand, almost white. Sihtric had heard the rumors about her, how she was said to be kissed by the Devil just because of this, but he found it beautiful, it made her unique. What was odd for the boy was that he found himself staring at the girl, trying to see every freckle she had, every beauty spots, every little scar. He was never interested in girls, he visited the whorehouse, yes, but he was not the once to study how they looked, about they walked or how they talked. With Lilith, the boy felt different, he felt something pushing him to her.   
Lilith was still daydreaming about the meeting to come, she also still felt Sihtric’s eyes on her. Maybe she should talk to him, how bad could it go ? Her feelings were never wrong, they told her he was never going to harm her, even when they’d meet again. Looking in his direction, they eyes met, sparks went through her body and through his. It was something both had never felt before, even if they had been with people. They were disturbed by someone coughing next to Lilith, one of Kjartan’s men. The sun was low in the sky, while Lilith and Leif arrived early, Kjartan made them wait all day for no reasons other than proving his authority. Leif was still not back from the brothel, but the girl wasn’t sure she could make Kjartan wait. As she made up her mind that she would have to do this meeting alone, Leif was probably deep into some random girl, she sighed but got up. Hearing her name, Lilith turned around, rolling her eyes as she saw the sight before her : Leif was running, putting back his breaches and brushing his hair back in place. Braiding his hair was the first thing the boy would ask her as they would leave this place, it was much needed now. 

« I had a whore warn me when someone approached you, I was ready. Did lover boy finally stop staring and made a move ? » The way he was so serene about this meeting was something Lilith didn’t understand. Magnus had warned her about Kjartan, about his way. What she was about to do was, maybe, a declaration of war. 

« You should be careful with whores, you never know. The next thing you know, they’ll have a dagger at your throat. And for your concern, no, he hasn’t moved a bit. I told you, his future is not with me, at least not right now. » Following the man, they were talking like they might not just die after the meeting. 

Silence filled the hall, the place was cold, unwelcoming. Kjartan was sitting at the end of the table, his half-blind son to his left. No chairs were placed for Lilith or Leif, Kjartan wanted them standing. As they entered, the cold man said nothing, didn’t apologize for making them wait the entire day. He wasn’t even looking at them, his food was more interesting. No one truly wanted to be there, they were all feeling the tension rising in the room, so thick, you could cut it with a knife. After all those years of begging, Lilith finally understood why her father didn’t want her to come with him. Kjartan was intimidating, his eyes were hard and cold, almost vile and manipulating. His son, was missing one, but you could see through the one left, he was not the cleverest man in the world. His stupidity cost him his eye, but his father’s rage cost Ragnar his life. Lilith wasn’t ready to die, but she knew, both she and Leif would go home tonight. She was uncertain if a fight would occur.   
Minute passed and still all you could hear was the sound of Kjartan’s mouth and Sven’s loud sighs. Lilith was getting tired of the clear disrespect the man was showing her, and she felt Leif getting annoyed as well. They were here because, like he did every year, the man asked for them to come. Just as Lilith was about to talk first, barking could be heard, startling everyone in the room. 

« Go quiet your bitch. » was all Kjartan said. As soon as those words left his father’s mouth, Sven was on his feet, running to a door, surely leading to the basement. Hatred was pure in his voice. Lilith knew who was downstairs, the poor girl being forced to live, if you could call it that, with the men that killed her family. 

Just like that, silence once again filled the room. It was all a game for him, making them wait all day, having them standing while watching him eat, all that served one purpose : imposing his dominance over them. Lilith was tired of it, she was sure she could kill him easily. His confidence was his downfall, he would be sloppy. 

« Are you going to say anything or can I go back to the brothel to pleasure the sweet girl I was with ? » Leif was never the most patient man she knew. Lilith glared at him, he was a warrior after all, his brain was not the organ he used the most. Thinking was not what he was good at, he fought. 

However, this seemed to get Kjartan to finally talk to them. The girl wasn’t sure if it was the best method, but it worked. She would be sure to tell him how reckless that was, probably would beat him up a little bit. 

« It seems you have come without any weapons. I thought your father would have told you what kind of deal we had before you killed him. » His words were hard, meant to hurt. Lilith would not play his little games, he was no jarl, no king, no god. 

« Oh, don’t worry, he told me everything about your little deal. But as you said, I killed him. Now I am in charged. » Outside their camp, Danes didn’t really know why she killed Magnus, most thought she did it for power, respected her in fear of being the next target. Kjartan was not afraid of her, at least not yet. « You see, I was tired of having my people working to make weapons, good swords and axes, the best really, for someone else. For someone who needed fire to kill his enemies. » Her insolence might get her in trouble someday, but today, she needed to prove she was a leader, not afraid of a coward. 

« You should be careful, little girl. You have heard of me, clearly. Me ? All I have ever heard of you was how you were a christian’s child, feared. Magnus pitied you so he took you in. For what end ? You killed him. A shame really, he was a good warrior. Both of you are just children, you don’t know what the real world is. War is something you don’t know, I’m not even certain any of you can fight. Respect the deal, and I won’t come for you. » Kjartan said with confidence, showing that her words meant nothing for him. 

« The real world ? I know how cruel it can be, I know how vile mankind can be. You are the best proof for that. Locking up a girl, burning her family. But you still shiver at the mention of Uhtred Ragnarsson. » Kjartan’s smug face disappeared, she had angered him. « Be certain that he will come back for you, he might not be the one that kills you, but he will bring you death. You are not immortal, you are not a God. From this day until the day I die, my people will not give you a single weapon. My father trained the youth all his life, we are soldiers, warriors. Rest assured, that if you come for us, we will welcome you, your son might even lose his second eye. Be careful with your words, old man. » It was Lilith’s turn to be smug, Leif was smirking next to her. He was proud to follow her, he could see part of Magnus in her. She would be a good leader, someone that thinks about her people first. 

With that said, there was no reason for Lilith and Leif to stay, so when the girl turned around to leave, Leif follow her. Just as they were about to open the door, soldiers blocked their path, probably following Kjartan’s order they were given before the meeting. 

« All has been said, we will be on our way now. If you don’t want a bloodbath in your hall, you will let us open this door. If you kill us now, you will have your war, my people will not be happy. » As she said her next words, she turned around, looking at him directly in his eyes. « Did I hurt your ego ? I mean, it was what cost Ragnar his life, wasn’t it ? » 

Kjartan was fuming, his anger was clear in his eyes. You could see another emotion in someone else’s eyes, hidden deep in the dark of the upstairs room. Looking at the room from the door, Lilith noticed him, knowing exactly who it was. Sihtric was shocked by her fire and her confidence, she stood up against his father, like no one else did after he killed Ragnar. Admiration was all he felt while looking at her, she was glowing from the fire of the room. Their eyes met, just for a second, and from how her lips twisted upward, he knew she understood what he wanted to say.   
Kjartan didn’t say a word, he just lifted his hand from the table. The soldiers stood aside so Leif could open the door. His gesture showed that he wanted Lilith to leave first, just in case they would try anything. Once outside, they quicken their pace, she might have been confident in front of him, but she didn’t know what he told his men. All of them were watching them leave, it was like the world had stopped. Leaving this place was the best thing Lilith experienced, the filth of this place was plaguing her, her feelings were out of place. They didn’t talk until they were a good distance away from Dunholm. 

Laughing hard was their way of expressing their relief, they started to talk about what happened, both so proud of themselves. They had the attitude of kids telling how they went and asked the person they liked on a date. Deep down, Kjartan was right, they were just children, forced to grow up too fast. They laughed until they reached their camp, decided against going to sleep in their house, careless for one more night, they would tell Jón and Stefán about the meeting tomorrow. As they arrived at the river, Leif asked Lilith if she could braid his hair. Once again, they both fell asleep, their feet in the river.


	6. Moonlight on the River

A new king was crowned : King of Cumberland. Whispers had spread around all Northumbria that this new king shall unify the North. Guthred was in need of men, warrior ready to die for his ambitions. He was lucky enough that the Daneslayer was within his troops bringing his army a recognition he would have imagined. He needed more men, his army was still small and couldn’t even fathom taking Dunholm, his ultimate goal killing Kjartan which would bring a new feeling of peace and calm. Northumbria was tormented between fearing Kjartan and fearing other invasions like the brothers’ one. Erik and Siegfried were gone from Eoferwic, driven away by a riot organized by the church. While they were going North to the Scotts, the King had decided to take the city without dropping a single drop of blood. 

Lilith had received an invitation to go to Cumberland, to meet the King. It was months after what happened in Dunholm, Kjartan never attacked. From this, her confidence grew. She became the real leader she was meant to be, no more depending on Jón or Stefán. The woman made the rules and was here to ensure they were respected. Their village was thriving, the cultures were good, people had food and shelter. Curious was in her nature, she would go to Cumberland wanting to know what the so called King wanted. Also, she was excited to meet the famous Daneslayer : Uhtred. Lilith had heard a lot about him, about how he killed many of his own for the Saxon’s King : Alfred. Meeting Uhtred would maybe lead her to Winchester one day, she had that feeling.   
Kjartan never decided to attack, that made Lilith think that maybe he respected her, or that maybe he was afraid of her ? Stefán told her it was mostly because he had nothing to gain from attacking them : they were a peaceful settlement, no glory or gold would come from it. Still, Lilith liked to think she made him realize she was not a kid anymore. It helped that her reputation grew behind the borders of Northumbria, she was known as Lilith the Ruthless, killing her own father for fame. At first she was not really happy with this, but when she realized it would help her if she ever decided to act on fulfilling her ambitions. She would need to leave some people behind to take care of the village. She had a large army, a peaceful one when not threatened, more than 200 men and women ready to fight. Leaving 100 was the best thing to do, the others would follow her, marching to Cumberland, meeting this so called king. Jón and Astrid would be staying, having small children they couldn’t leave, both would be in charge while Lilith was gone. 

The night before they left, a feast was prepared, in case some were to die far from their families and friends. Lilith was smiling, a genuine one, as she watched Leif and Sigurd fight to see who was the strongest. Even though they all knew Sigurd was going to win, Stefán made people bet on his sons. The girl placed her bet on Sigurd, yes Leif was her best friend and incredibly strong, but he was also very drunk and too proud of himself to actually beat his older brother.   
Sigurd was a skilled fighter, he learnt how to fight from a young age and never stop. His wife was pregnant that was why he was staying in the village, ordinarily, they would travel all across the world. Having gone from Norway all the way to Frankia, they fought for multiple kings in exchange of money. They liked the way they lived, Freya was a fierce woman, she would always fight for those she loved and enjoy a good battle for money. Being pregnant changed their way of living for a little bit, but Lilith was sure they would be gone as soon as the baby was born, eager to show them the world. Lilith told Sigurd he would have a boy, knowing she was right for Astrid’s children, he was the happiest.   
Just as Lilith focused back on the fight, Leif was on the floor, being strangled by his brother, the oldest waiting for his sibling to surrender, which he did. The few that bet on Leif were disappointed, but the feeling quickly disappeared as more ale was brought to the feast. Every one cheered the winner who smirk at the man on the floor, giving him his hand to put him on his feet. Leif being the stubborn man he was, and drunker than usual, left without even looking back, probably mad as hell. Both Sigurd and Lilith sighed, knowing he needed to be alone for a little while, the girl knew exactly where to find him when she felt the time was right. 

« He hasn’t changed a bit, always been a little brat. » Sigurd said laughing while sitting next to Lilith. It has been a long time since they talked, just the two of them. After all, they grew up together, even if Sigurd was 13 years older than her, the man still considered her as his little sister. « Remember that time when he was being jealous of me because you would spend more time with me, the good old time where you were in love with me. » As he said that, Lilith eyes grew and she looked at him like he grew three heads. 

« How did you know I was in love with you ? Leif told you ? » Lilith was certain Sigurd didn’t know, and she would have been happy this way. 

« Come on, you think I cannot tell when a 8 year old girl that followed me everywhere was in love with me ? You always laughed at what I said, always followed me around, always begged me to teach you things. It was quite funny, Magnus didn’t think it was, too protective of you, as if I would have done anything to you. » Thinking about it, she could admit she wasn’t really subtle about her love for Sigurd. In her defense, she was 8 years old and he was a handsome 21 year old man who was nice to her. Everyone would have felt the same for him, even though now, she would never to anything with him, he was like a brother to her. « It was cute, don’t be embarrassed about it. Leif would come home pissed at me, he would not talk to me for hours until eventually I had to kill a spider in his chambers or he was too small to reach something. » 

« Leif always had a big ego, but I know that sometimes he felt he was living in your shadows. So what you did tonight, plus the alcohol is going to bring back his old demons. You were his hero, you still are I’m sure, but growing up with you as a brother made him insecure. Everyone kept talking about your fighting skills, about your exploits overseas, about your woman and all. While he was struck here, leaning how to fight and getting his arse beaten by me. » Lilith laughed, remembering how angry he was the first time she beat him. « He will get over it don’t worry Sigurd. » She smiled at the older man. 

Walking silently, she made her way to the river, where the girl knew she would find Leif. The boy was standing in the water, probably naked as his clothes were on the dry ground not far from the river. Lilith took off her shoes, put her skirt up and sat down on the grass, half her legs in the cold water. 

« Are you naked ? » Leif had his eyes closed, being startled by Lilith’s voice, he fell into the water, slipping. That made Lilith laugh, but she grew worried when Leif didn’t come up. « Leif ? Are you okay ? It’s not funny Leif. Come on, get out of the - » She couldn’t even finish her sentence, something grabbed her leg and pulled her into the freezing water. As she pushed her body out of the water, she could hear echoes of laugher around her. Leif was looking at her a bit far from her now, scared she might be mad. Lilith couldn't contain her own laughters after a few minutes. 

« Yes, I am. » After they both calmed, Leif replied to Lilith’s question. Knowing this, Lilith cheeks turned red, sure it was not the first time she would see him naked, even thought she couldn’t see him, but this time felt different. With the light of the moon, Lilith could see his multiples tattoos, protective ruins marked the inside of his arms but her favourite was Thor’s hammer tattooed where his heart was. His long blond hair were unbraided from the water and from the fight earlier, she found herself thinking he looked good with his hair like this. She always knew Leif was attractive, but now, she felt herself being attracted to him, which she thought was never possible.   
Little did she know, Leif was thinking the same thing. Lilith looked like a goddess with her hair still perfectly styled even wet. Her face was flushed from the coldness of the water, her emerald eyes being intensified by the moonlight. At this very moment, all Leif wanted to do was kiss the girl. Leif liked to think that he was driven by his instincts for a reason, so he kissed Lilith. He got closer to her, slowly so she could understand his intention. Putting both his hands on her cheeks, he could feel the coldness which made him feel a guilty. Gently leaning in, their lips finally touched. It was not a rushed kiss, nor was it a lustful one, it was a sweet kiss, merely lasting a few seconds. Once they separated, Leif was bending, having his forehead on the much smaller woman’s one. Both of them were confused, their hearts were beating faster than usual and they couldn’t help but smile like children after the kiss. 

« Maybe, we should get out of the water before you freeze to death. » Leif gently said, not really knowing what else to say. He took her hand and led her out of the water. Lilith was behind him, she could see other the other tattoos on his back, a giant snake following his spine with his head at the base of his neck. She could only see it because Leif had put his hair on one side of his neck. As she followed the length of the snake, she quickly raised her eyes, realizing that he didn’t lie about being naked but, once again, Leif never lied. Once the man was dressed, they made their way to the village, Leif was still holding Lilith’s hands. 

Once they arrived, the feast was still going one, no one really noticed them coming back wet and quiet, which was odd for the duo. They always laughed or screamed at each other, Stefán knew both his sons like the back of his hand, so he, of course, knew something happened between them. He decided not to bother them, they were good for each other. Leif led Lilith to her home, he wasn’t the only one that was a bit drunk and tired, so he wanted to take care of her, and the girl wouldn’t complain, too tired and confused. Both couldn’t care less about their clothes, Lilith put on a nightdress, showing her back to Leif, who was himself undressing, keeping his pants on. They silently agreed that Leif would sleep here, just like when they were children.   
Growing up, they would often sleep in the same bed, or close to each other by the river bank. They would talk until Magnus or Stefán told them to go to sleep, telling stories about how skilled they would become, about their dream life. Leif always told the same story, he wanted a simple life, a peaceful one. Fighting was fun, but wars weren't, he would be happier with a small cottage full of children and a loving wife. Lately, when he thought about this plan, he pictured Lilith and him, away from all this mess. It also wasn’t uncommon for them to cuddle, Leif usually being behind Lilith, covering her with his body, and that is exactly how they ended up this particular night. They didn’t really talk about what happened at the river, but both knew it wouldn’t be awkward when Lilith turned back just before falling asleep to kiss the boy behind her, one last time before falling asleep. 

« Don’t forget we have to be up early tomorrow Leif, we cannot sleep late. » Lilith explained, tiredness could be heard in her voice. 

« I know, don’t worry Devil’s Child. You also have to braid my hair, I want to look presentable. We are meeting a King after all. » Leif laughed at his own joke, knowing fully that both didn’t believe in this so called King, the man was freshly crowned. 

Lilith enjoyed sleeping with Leif, he kept the nightmare away. As she was falling asleep, she felt his soft lips on her neck where he murmured « Good night. » Tomorrow, was going to be special, she knew it. Before she fell asleep, she saw eyes. Those were familiar, one was blue and the other was brown, though she knew them, she couldn’t recall from where.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is taking an slight turn on the Sihtric/Lilith path lmao Prepare for a bit of Lilith/Leif


End file.
